Mercer Falls At Home To Georgia Southern In Weather Delayed Game

Thursday, August 27

Macon, Ga.

7:30 p.m.

Mercer University

3-2-0, 0-0-0

Georgia Southern

3-0-2, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Ga. Southern	2	2	4
Mercer	0	1	1

Mercer Falls At Home To Georgia Southern In Weather Delayed Game

8/28/2026 2:20:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

The game originally scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET didn't officially kickoff until 10:52 p.m. ET

MACON, Ga. – After a 3 hour 22 minute weather delay, the Mercer women's soccer team dropped a 4-1 game at home to visiting Georgia Southern Thursday night from Betts Stadium in Macon, Georgia.

Lightning in the Macon area caused a delay in the Mercer men's soccer game that was played before the women's game leaving players and fans having to wait until nearly 11 p.m. ET for kickoff between the Bears and Eagles.

The Eagles scored two goals in each half and Mercer's Payton Nutzman scored the Bears lone goal on a penalty kick late in the game for her third goal of the season.

Despite the scoreline, each team had 15 shots in the game, with Mercer putting 13 shots on goal to nine for the Eagles.

Georgia Southern opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Kendall Wilson took a free kick that deflected off the Mercer wall and caught Mercer's goalie Ariel Bernard going the wrong way as the ball skipped past her for the opening goal of the game.

Georgia Southern scored a second goal off a header from Natalie Heckathorn in the 36th minute to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead which they would carry into halftime.

In the 69th minute, the Eagles received a penalty kick after a video review and Wilson converted the penalty kick for her second goal of the game to make it 3-0, Eagles.

In the 84th minute, Anna Bachman sent a low cross into the box that hit the arm of a sliding Georgia Southern defender, giving the Bears a penalty kick that Nutzman stepped up and scored for her third goal of the season. With Mercer committing numbers forward in the final minutes, the Eagles caught the Bears in transition and scored a fourth goal.

SCORING SUMMARY
5'	GEORGIA SOUTHERN GOAL: Kendall Wilson (2) ASSISTS: Unassisted
36'	GEORGIA SOUTHERN GOAL: Natalie Heckathorn (2) ASSISTS: Maryann Beach, Kaitlin Cook
69'	GEORGIA SOUTHERN GOAL: Kendall Wilson (3) ASSISTS: Unassisted
84'	MERCER GOAL: Payton Nutzman (3) ASSISTS: Unassisted
89'	GEORGIA SOUTHERN GOAL: Meredith Pugh ASSISTS: Anna Braziunas

NOTABLES

+ After a three hour 22 minute weather delay, the game did not start until 10:52 p.m. ET and finished at nearly 1 a.m. ET.
+ Each team had 15 shots, but the Bears had more shots on goal with 13 to just nine for the Eagles.
+ Payton Nutzman scored her third goal of the season and is now tied for the second most goals on the team.
+ Maria Karipidis led Mercer with four shots and three shots on goal.
+ Hayden Lepley was the lone Bear field player to play the full 90 minutes.

UP NEXT

Mercer's next game is at home on Sunday, August 30 against No. 17 Georgia. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET from Betts Stadium.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.